INDIANAPOLIS — With free agency opening in four days, the Broncos have hired Keith Kidd to become their new pro scouting director.

Kidd was New England’s assistant director of pro scouting from 2002-04, a period when Broncos coach Josh McDaniels was breaking in as a Patriots defensive coaching assistant.

Kidd is a scout through and through. He worked eight seasons (1991-98) with the Arizona Cardinals, then spent four seasons (1998-2001) as the Cleveland Browns’ director of pro personnel. Since leaving the Pats, Kidd was a columnist for ESPN’s Scout Inc.

The Broncos are not expected to add any more personnel to their scouting department until after the draft.

Wiegmann, 35, has streaks of 127 starts and 8,046 snaps. He said at the Pro Bowl he would like his snap streak to surpass 10,000, which would mean starting for two more years.

Most established centers draw a salary around $3 million. Wiegmann made $1.6 million last season and is scheduled to draw the veteran minimum $845,000 salary this season.

Marshall talks.

An NFL source said Xanders and Kennard McGuire, the agent for Broncos star receiver Brandon Marshall, met this week at the team’s hotel. Marshall, who is scheduled to make $2.2 million in the final year of his four-year contract this season, is hoping for a new deal.

According to NFL sources, the Broncos will be interested in St. Louis’ Ronald Bartell and Pittsburgh’s Bryant McFadden once the free-agent market opens at 10:01 p.m. MST Thursday.

The Broncos need a right cornerback after releasing two-year starter Dre Bly last week.

Bartell, who turns 27 today, and McFadden, 27, are younger alternatives to Bly, who turns 32 in May. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Bartell, and McFadden (6-0, 190), who played some safety at Florida State, are also large by cornerback standards.

Bartell also ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash as he came out of Howard University. Both Bartell and McFadden came out of the cornerback-deep 2005 NFL draft, when the Broncos selected Darrent Williams in the second round and Karl Paymah and Domonique Foxworth in the third.

WASHINGTON — Thirty games into the 82-game NHL season, and nearly six weeks after the Matt Duchene trade, Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic discussed the state of his team before Tuesday’s 5-2 loss at the Washington Capitals.